Three mobile marketing trends that didn't live up to the hype

Mobile marketing trends come and go, just like the changing of the seasons and the tides of the sea.

Some stick around and become established marketing channels in their own right, such as SMS or mobile apps, but all too often new mobile technologies burn brightly for a short period before withering and dying.

With this in mind, I’ve rounded up three mobile marketing trends that have so far failed to live up to the hype. I’m not saying they’re dead yet, but they’re on shaky ground.

QR codes

QR codes have been around for ages but it’s very rare that you find anyone with a decent word to say about them.

Occasionally we come across case studies which show that QR codes can be successful in the right circumstances, with the right CTA, a powerful incentive and when someone forces you to scan one at gunpoint, but in general they haven’t justified the time wasted on them.

I’m not saying that smartphone users will never be persuaded to scan advertising, however it will take something more alluring than a QR code before the technology catches on.

Furthermore there are plenty of NFC-enabled handsets on the market, notably from LG, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung.

However as yet the technology seems to have been kept away from consumers, as if tech companies feel we’re not yet ready to experience it’s awesome power.

The more likely reason of course is that the technology is not yet ready for widespread consumer adoption due to the complexities of setting up a secure eco-system that relies on the cooperation of several different industries (e.g. mobile operators, finance companies, card issuers).

And now that Apple has decided to focus on iBeacons rather than NFC it could be that the latter’s never fulfils its promise.

And to finish...

Here are two trends that I’m glad we’ve hopefully seen the back of forever...

Apps vs. the mobile web

Back in the bad old days people used to genuinely debate whether it was better for companies to go for a mobile app or a mobile website, as if each different business and industry should be bound by the same one-size-fits-all approach.

Thankfully we seem to have moved on from this debate, thanks in no small part to the advent of responsive design and HTML5.

The line between apps and mobile sites is becoming increasingly blurred, and marketers largely accept that decisions on mobile platforms should be driven by business objectives and user needs rather than simply trying to adopt the latest trendy technology.

“There are more mobile phones than toothbrushes in the world”

Not a marketing trend as such, but if you’ve ever been to a conference then there’s a 100% chance you’ve heard someone trot out this utterly unprovable and ultimately pointless catchphrase.

Admittedly this is a rather niche bugbear, but if we work together we can ensure that the trend of using this go-to buzzphrase will also die a death.

Comments (6)

Good observations. But I remain convinced that we NEED something like a QR code for getting information to peoples' mobile phones without making them type a URL. Putting a long URL on a sign, or flyer, or whatever, just doesn't work....have you ever tried to type a url into a mobile browser?... especially ones that have tracking data in them!

I'm convinced QR codes would be popular overnight if Apple and the others would build QR readers into the core OS, somehow, so that it is fast and easy to scan the codes. I've probably downloaded a dozen scanners and all of them are "clunky." Scanning something should be as fast and easy as taking a picture.

I agree - putting a long URL on a sign or a flyer doesn't work. But you can put something like "Text MYSTORE to 41411" on your sign or flyer and achieve the same thing. Most everyone can send and receive texts.

over 2 years ago

John Attwood

QR codes never took off because they weren't backed by the mobile providers. Too many steps. If mobiles supported QR or other "tap it" links, without use for app downloads and too many clicks/taps, it would be a different story.

I agree with commenters - QR codes would be GREAT if they were integrated into iOS. There is just one too many steps for the average smartphone user.

How QR codes work now:

1. Open app store
2. Type in QR code (old people type this is wrong)
3. Trawl through the 400 different ones, getting confused, pick one (again, if you're old of not tech savvy you can get the wrong one or one with loads of ads or spam)
4. Download it, install it and in some (old people) cases say yes/no to loaction settings, push notifications etc
5. Find the app in amongst the 200 on your phone, wait for it to open. then scan the QR code.

How QR codes should work:

1. Swipe up (like with camera), hold down volume+home button, or some shortcut

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